1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to support structures and more particularly pertains to a support for supporting a fan in an elevated position and oscillating the fan about the support.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of support structures is known in the prior art. More specifically, support structures heretofore devised and utilized for the purpose of oscillating a fan are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
For example, an oscillating fan is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,732,539 which has a neck joint that is mounted for tilting movement back and forth on the top of an upwardly projecting portion of a base, with a fan unit mounted on top of the neck joint for oscillating movement on the neck joint about a vertical axis. The neck joint allows the fan to be folded downward so as to place the fan in a collapsed or folded position.
An oscillator mechanism for a fan is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,713,346 in which a ratchet arm and a crank arm are joined by a connecting link, with the crank arm being driven by the fan motor through a reduction gear mechanism. The fan proper is attached to a vertical swivel shaft adapted to rotate in a bore in an oscillator member fixed to a stand.
Another patent of interest is U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,769 which teaches a self-oscillating fan having a single degree of freedom to torsionally oscillate in a horizontal plane. In one version, the fan oscillates about a fixed vertical axis and is self-excited by an aerodynamic couple created by feathering vertically disposed vanes which are symmetrically located adjacent the tips of the fan blades on the air in flow side thereof. In another version, the fan oscillates about a pendulous axis and is self-excited by a precession of the rotating fan and motor armature as a pendulous gyro.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a fan support for supporting a fan in an elevated position and oscillating the fan about the support which includes an adjustable column supported in a vertical position by a plurality of legs with a fan support channel pivotally mounted to a top end of the column for receiving and supporting a fan, and an oscillation means to effect a repetitive pivoting motion of the support channel about a vertical axis. Furthermore, none of the known prior art support structures teach or suggest an oscillating fan support of the aforementioned structure which further includes a thermostat for controlling an operation of both the fan and the oscillation means.
In these respects, the oscillating fan support according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of supporting a fan in an elevated position and oscillating the fan about a vertical axis.